You can do it and do it well

When you were in college, you probably thought that there was no way you would ever have kids. You probably thought at one point "How am I going to take care of a kid? I can't even take care of myself". I thought this at one point. I thought, "I can't even make it to my 8am class on the regular" I realize that this probably had to do more with Thursday night binge drinking at Rocky's for quarter beers. Maybe you even tried test runs with plants just to see if you could keep it alive and when that didn't work you convinced yourself that if you had a kid that was like a cactus it would pretty much take care of itself. If you passed that test you may have bought a cat or dog and realized that they are somewhat similar to having a kid but you can't but them outside on a leash when they poop on your rug and you can't spray them with a water bottle when they vomit on your bed. Listen Dads, think of what Rob Schneider has said in every Adam Sandler movie "YOU CAN DO IT!" If you are a new dad or going to be a new dad you are probably crapping in your pants about this kid like a potty training toddler. The first time I ever changed my son's diaper (he is now 7, so I survived!) my hands were shaking so bad that I couldn't do it and then my wife laughed at me. I was afraid that I was going to mess it up. Fact is, you are going to mess it up, sometimes. Once you mentally get past that point that things won't be perfect and you are going to fail it definitely gets easier. Babies are resilient and you will learn to be too. Also, don't listen to these Huggies ads that claim dads don't know what they are doing. If you read my blog or any of the other blogs that I follow you will realize that there are a lot of us out there figuring it out as we go and while we don't have all the answers we definitely have lots of experience for you to fall back on. 32% of Dads are the primary caregivers and we are a growing group so remember that you aren't alone. I have met so many moms who stay at home that are so blown away when I tell them that I am a stay at home dad. Sometimes they comment that they WISH that their husbands had the patience to stay at home and they truly admire a man who is willing to take on that responsibility. It's going to be tough like any job. Your little bosses are going to have you running this way and that. However, like our sports idols who somehow find a way to win there will be times when you rise up and surprise yourself just how damn good you are a being a father. So, go get 'em kid and watch those kids. The bond you make with them will last a lifetime and its one that I would never trade for any job out there.